Davy Jones always had a penchant for entertaining, but it was his mother's death from emphysema in 1960 that prompted him to drop out of school and become, of all things, a jockey.
Z Cars
Only 14 at the time, the diminutive Jones apprenticed under jockey Basil Foster, who was the first to recognize the boy's charm and talent. Foster encouraged Jones to pursue acting and before long he had landed parts on the British soap Coronation Street as well as BBC's Z Cars. He makes his appearance in this Z Cars clip at about the 50-second mark.
Oliver!
These appearances were followed by a big part in the London and American production of Oliver!, which itself was featured on The Ed Sullivan Show (the very same episode on which the Beatles made their first appearance in 1964).
Ben Casey
The Ed Sullivan appearance led Colpix Records/Columbia Pictures to sign a contract with Jones. At the age of 20, Jones produced his first album, called simply David Jones, in 1965. He also made a few more appearances on American TV, notably on The Farmer's Daughter and, above (with terrible sound), Ben Casey.
The Monkees
But it would be with the Monkees in 1966 that Jones would rocket to stardom. The show first aired in September, and along with Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz, and Michael Nesmith, Jones came into the households of thousands each week. As a Monkee, Jones sang lead vocals on many of the group's songs, including "I Wanna Be Free" and, above, 1967's "Daydream Believer", when he was just 22.
The Brady Bunch
The Monkees, although popular with teenage girls, only aired until 1968. But Jones remained a heart-throb and launched a solo career. Here he is appearing in season three of the Brady Bunch in 1971. He also made cameo appearances in Love American Style. Swoon.
Monkees, redux
But the 1980s were rough on baby-faced child stars from the 60s and 70s (see: Cassidy, David). And so Jones toured Japan extensively with a band called Toast. The Monkees enjoyed something of a comeback, though, thanks to MTV and Nickelodeon. Three of the original Monkees (Jones, Dolenz, and Tork) got together to do the album Pool It! and a Christmas medley video and then toured together in 1986 for their 20th anniversary, and again in 1989 (above).
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
Jones continued to act late into the 1990s on TV shows such as The Single Guy and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (above). He also kept up his stage work with appearances in Grease and Oliver!.
Bill O'Reilly
Of course, many serious music fans continue to refuse to take the Monkees – the original pre-fab boy band – seriously. Rolling Stone publisher and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame co-founder Jann Wenner has banned the Monkees from being inducted into his hallowed institution. Here's Jones discussing the matter with Bill O'Reilly, one of the few men less pleasant than Wenner himself, in 2007.
